One in the afternoon. Called for my flowered handkerchief. Worked half a violet leaf in it. Eyes aked and head out of order. Threw by my work, and read over the remaining part of Aurengzebe. From three to four. Dined. From four to twelve. Changed my mind, dreffed, went abroad, and played at crimp till midnight. Found Mrs. Spitely at home. Converfation: Mrs. Brilliant's necklace falfe ftones. Old lady Loveday going to be. married to a young fellow that is not worth a groat. Mifs Prue gone into the country. Tom Townley has red hair. Mem. Mrs. Spitely whispered in my ear that the had fomething to tell me about Mr. Froth, I am fure it is not true. Between twelve and one. Dreamed that Mr. Froth lay at my feet, and called me Indamora. SATURDAY. Rofe at eight o'clock in the morning. Sat down to my toilette. From eight to nine. Shifted a patch for half an hour before I could determine it. Fixed it above my left eye brow. From nine to twelve. Drank my tea, and dreffed. From twelve to two. At chapel. A great deal of good company. Mem. The third air in the new opera. Lady Blithe dreffed frightfully. From three to four. Dined. Mifs Kitty called upon me to go to the opera before I was rifen from table. From dinner to fix. Drank tea. Turned off a footman for being rude to Veny. Six o'clock. Went to the opera. I did not fee Mr. Froth till the beginning of the fecond act. Mr. Froth talked to a gentleman in a black wig. Bowed to a lady in the front box. Mr. Froth and his friend clap'd Nicolini in the third act. Mr. Froth cried out Ancora. Mr. Froth led me to my chair. I think he fqueez'd my hand. Eleven at night. Went to bed. Melancholy dreams. Methought Nicolini faid he was Mr. Froth. SUNDAY. Indifpofed. MONDAY. Eight o'clock. Waked by Mifs Kitty. Aurengzebe lay upon the chair by me. Kitty repeated without without book the eight beft lines in the play. Went in our mobbs to the dumb man according to appointment. Told me that my lover's name began with a G. Mem. The conjuror was within a letter of Mr. Froth's name, &c. am Upon looking back into this my journal, I find that I am at a lofs to know whether I pass my time well or ill; and indeed never thought of confidering ⚫ how I did it before I perufed your fpeculation upon that fubject. I fcarce find a fingle action in these five days that I can thoroughly approve of, except the working upon the violet-leaf, which I refolved to finith the first day I am at leifure. As for Mr. Froth and Veny, I did not think they took up fo much of my time and thoughts as I find they do upon my journal. The latter of them I will turn off, if you infift upon it; and if Mr. Froth does not bring matters to a conclufion very fuddenly, I will not let my life run away in a dream, Your bumble fervant, Clarinda. To refume one of the morals of my firft paper, and to confirm Clarinda in her good inclinations, I would have her confider what a pretty figure fhe would make among pofterity, were the hiftory of her whole life published like thefe five days of it. I fhall conclude my paper with an epitaph written by an uncertain author on Sir Philip Sidney's fifter, a lady, who feems to have been of a temper very much different from that of Clarinda. The last thought of it is fo very noble, that I dare say my reader will pardon me the quotation. Underneath this marble bearfe L Wednesday, 324 Wednesday, March 12. N° 324 O curva in terris animæ, & cæleftium inanes! O fouls, in whom no heav'nly fire is found, Mr. SPECTATOR, T DRYDEN. HE materials you have collected together towards a general History of Clubs, make fo bright a part of your fpeculations, that I think it is but a juftice we all owe the learned world to furnish you with fuch affiftances as may promote that useful work. For this reafon I could not forbear communicating to you fome imperfect informations of a set of men (if you ⚫ will allow them a place in that fpecies of being) who have lately erected themselves into a nocturnal fraternity under the title of The Mohock-Club, a name borrowed it feems from a fort of Canibals in India, who fubfift by plundering and devouring all the nations about them. The prefident is ftiled Emperor of the Mobocks; and his arms are a Turkish crefcent, which his imperial majesty bears at present in a very extraordinary manner engraven upon his forehead. Agreeable to their name, the avowed defign of their inftitution is mischief; and upon this foundation all their rules and orders are framed. An outrageous ambition of doing all poffible • hurt to their fellow-creatures, is the great cement of ⚫ their affembly, and the only qualification required in the members. In order to exert this principle in its full ftrength and perfection, they take care to drink themselves to a pitch, that is, beyond the poffibility of attending to any motions of reafon or humanity; then make a general fally, and attack all that are fo • unfortunate as to walk the streets through which they patrol. Some are knock'd down, others ftabb'd, others cut and carbonado'd. To put the watch to a total rout, and mortify fome of those inoffenfive militia, is • reckon'd reckon'd a Coup d'eclat. The particular talents by which thefe Misanthropes are diftinguished from one another, confift in the various kinds of barbarities which they execute upon their prifoners. Some are celebrated for a happy dexterity in tipping the Lion upon them; which is performed by fqueezing the nofe flat to the face, and boring out the eyes with their fingers Others are called the dancing-mafters, and teach their scholars to cut capers by running fwords thro' their legs; a new invention, whether originally • French I cannot tell: A third fort are the tumblers, whofe office it is to fet women on their heads and ⚫ commit certain indecencies, or rather barbarities, on the limbs which they expofe. But thefe 1 forbear to ⚫ mention, because they cannot but be very fhocking to the reader as well as the SPECTATOR. In this manner they carry on a war against mankind; and by the standing maxims of their policy, are to enter into no alliances but one, and that is offenfive and defenfive with all bawdy-houses in general, of which they have declared themselves protectors and guarantees. I must own, fir, thefe are only broken incoherent ⚫ memoirs of this wonderful fociety, but they are the best I have been yet able to procure; for being but of late establishment, it is not ripe for a juft hiftory. And to be ferious, the chief defign of this trouble is to hinder it from ever being fo. You have been pleas'd, out of a concern for the good of your countrymen, to act under the character of SPECTATOR, not only the part of a looker-on, but an overfeer of their actions; and whenever fuch enormities as this infeft the town, we immediately fly to you for redress. I have reafon to believe, that fome thoughtless youngfters, out of a falfe notion of bravery, and an immoderate fondneís to be diftinguifh'd for fellows of fire, are infenfibly hurry'd into this fenfelefs fcandalous project: Such will probably ftand corrected by your reproofs, especially if you in• form them that it is not courage for half a score fellows mad with wine and luft, to fet upon two or three • foberer than themselves; and that the manners of In⚫dian favages are no becoming accomplishments to an English fine gentleman. Such of them as have been ⚫ bullies bullies and fcowerers of a long ftanding, and are grown veterans in this kind of fervice, are, I fear, too hardned to receive any impreffions from your admonitions. But I beg you would recommend to their perufal • your ninth fpeculation: They may there be taught to take warning from the club of Duelifts; and be put in mind, that the common fate of those men of honour was to be hanged. March the 10th, 1711 I am, SIR, Your most bumble servant, The following letter is of a quite contrary nature; but I add it here, that the reader may observe at the fame view, how amiable ignorance may be when it is fhewn in its fimplicities, and how deteftable in barbarities. It is written by an honeft countryman to his miflrefs, and came to the hands of a lady of good sense. wrapped about a thread-paper, who has long kept it by her as an image of artlefs love. To her I very much refpect, Mrs. Margaret Clark. L OVELY, and oh that I could write loving Mrs. Margaret Clark, I pray you let affection excufe prefumption. Having been fo happy as to enjoy the fight of your fweet countenance and comely body, fometimes when I had occafion to buy treacle or liquorish powder at the apothecaries fhop, I am fo enamoured with you, that I can no more keep clofe my flaming defire to become your fervant. And I am the more bold now to write to your fweet felf, because I ⚫ am now my own man, and may match where I please; for my father is taken away, and now I am come to my living which is ten yard land, and a house; and there is never a yard land in our field but it is as well "worth ten pounds a year, as a thief is worth a halter, and all my brothers and fifters are provided for: befides I have good houthold-ftuff, though I fay it, both brass and pewter, linens and woollens; and though my house be thatch'd, yet, if you and 1 match, it fhall go hard |